


Insecurities

by FiveAM



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Gen, Platonic leaning on Romantic for BBRae
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-26 17:00:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15667449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiveAM/pseuds/FiveAM
Summary: Beast Boy is captured by a new gang in Jump City and is exposed to fear toxin, making him hallucinate his worst nightmare.  It's up to the rest of the Titans to save him and see if they can't help him recover from the ordeal.





	1. Out of the Loop

**Author's Note:**

> It there is one episode I wish was made for the original Teen Titans, it's an episode focusing on Beast Boy having an inferiority complex compared to the rest of the group. The show always portrayed him as the kid of the group, so it would make sense for him to become self-aware of that and at least make steps towards changing that. Consider this a more mature and brutal variation of such an episode, then. 
> 
> Also, apologies if this comes across as uncomfortable. This is my first time writing a story like this.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys.

As usual, crime in Jump City never stops. This time around, Mumbo recruited a few lackeys to help him hold up a medical facility. His target was ukonium, a chemical agent that was hypothesized to both give and bind superpowers to regular humans. When the Titans got the call, they arrived on the scene almost immediately. 

“You’re too late, Titans. With this ukonium, not only can I stay this way forever, but I will become the most feared villain in all of Jump City!” Mumbo shouted in glee.

Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven were all determined to not let him be exposed to the chemical, but Beast Boy was just confused.

“Um, what’s ukonium?” asked Beast Boy.

“We’ll explain later. Right now, we need to get that stuff out of Mumbo’s hands. Titans, go!” yelled Robin.

“I don’t think so. Get them” screamed Mumbo.

Mumbo’s lackeys immediately went to attack the titans. Each titan had a few henchmen to take on respectively. The usual happened after that; the lackies were made quick work of thanks to Starfire’s starbolts, Raven’s soul-self, Cyborg’s blasters, Robin’s gadgets, and Beast Boy turning into a rhino.

Mumbo, meanwhile, was already in a car making his getaway. The titans immediately gave chase. Robin quickly came up with how he would take out the car; he shot a grapple out from his bike and pulled the left-rear wheel clean off the car. Mumbo immediately crashed and was apprehended by the Titans.

Upon getting back to Titans Tower, Beast Boy asked Cyborg “So what’s ukonium?”

“It’s a chemical that enhances the powers that heroes and villains possess. All you really need to know is that it’s dangerous.”

Beast Boy was not happy with that response. Once again, he was treated like the little kid of the group. His usual attitude didn’t make that unwarranted, but if he wanted to become a better Titan, he wanted to know about any sort of dangerous chemical the group had to deal with.

Upon entering the common room about an hour later, Robin set up a sort of impromptu meeting and announced “We got a problem. There seems to be a lot of theft regarding dangerous chemical agents. We’ve had ukonium, xenothium, and many others.”

Cyborg immediately chimed in “And each time, it seems like the bad guy gets just a little bit closer to taking them.”

Raven also chimed in “Most of them are held up in high-security vaults throughout the city, but they don’t seem to be well-protected, and that’s only for the ones that we know of. Do we even know where all of these different chemicals are?”

“We know where most of them are” said Robin. “There either in medical facilities or those vaults. There are two problems I’ve noticed: first, we can’t say for certain that these chemicals are stable, so we may be putting ourselves in more dangerous situations than we realize, and second, like you said, Raven, the security of these facilities are getting more compromised every day. Take today’s ukonium theft, for example…”

All the while, Beast Boy was just sitting in the back of the room. All these scientific words were both making his head hurt and making him feel inadequate. He was becoming increasingly upset with himself for not knowing as much about these compounds as his teammates do.

At the end of the meeting, Robin and Cyborg decided to do some research regarding the different chemicals in the city and where they were located, while Starfire was asked if she knew of any alien chemical that was currently on Earth. Raven just did her usual thing of going to her room to meditate for a bit. Beast Boy announced to them afterwards “Guys, I’m going to take a walk. I’ll be back later.” It wasn’t like Beast Boy to take a walk, but far be it from Robin to get in the way. Cyborg was just confused. “Does he usually take walks?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Never mind that, though. We need to find those chemicals and analyze the security protecting them” said Robin.

Beast Boy mainly wanted to use the walk as an excuse to do his own research. Not only would he learn up on new chemicals, but he also wanted to specifically mark out which buildings had them. He used his communicator’s chemical sensors (complimentary of Cyborg) to search out specifically where different unstable chemicals were located.

About an hour-and-a-half passed and Beast Boy was proud of his work. He had marked out five buildings with different chemicals in them, and what those chemicals were. He decided to call his search off there. Cheerfully, he exclaimed “Woo! This calls for an awesome veggie-burger to celebrate!” 

On his way back, he decided to simply walk rather than turn into a bird and fly. It had been awhile since he simply took in the city atmosphere as a civilian and not a hero.

It was sundown, and while traveling through a lower-income area of the city, he felt his communicator vibrate. Pulling it out, the sensors picked up the chemical trace of a compound he was actually familiar with. Almost immediately after finding out, he was jumped by a few men. They covered his head with a bag, knocked the breath out of him, and threw him into a car. The last thing he remembered was saying “What is…” before getting knocked unconscious.


	2. A Message

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm surprised how short these chapters turned out to be, so apologies for that, especially with how fast the pacing turned out to be, too. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys.

It was around 11:00 when Cyborg activated the security systems of Titans Tower. Starfire was playing with Silkie on the couch, while Raven was reading. Raven was enjoying the fact that Beast Boy wasn’t doing anything to annoy her. She wasn’t even sure where he was, but she wasn’t complaining too much. Knowing him, he was probably just spending time at the arcade before it closed.

“Alright y’all, security activated. I’m turning in.”

Robin walked in then. “Has anyone seen Beast Boy?”

Cyborg, yawning, responded “No.”

Robin responded “He’s not in his room.”

Starfire said “He has not come back yet from his walk?”

Raven suggested “Don't worry. He’s probably just at the arcade.”

Robin guessed that was probably the correct answer, saying “Maybe, but we’d better get a hold of him just to be safe.”

He pulled out his communicator “Robin to Beast Boy. Come in Beast Boy”

Instead of Beast Boy, someone looking like a mob leader answered “Hello there. You must be Robin, leader of the Teen Titans.”

Robin asked, confused “Who are you?”

The man responded “The leader of what is soon to be the most powerful and feared gang in the city. Your friend already knows what we’re capable of.”

Now, Robin was angry. “Where’s Beast Boy?” he asked aggressively, as the others crowded around him.

“He’s our... “guest” so to speak. He seems to be enjoying his stay.” The crime boss moved the communicator camera to show a fairly bruised Beast Boy.

The Titans could only respond with shock. They were not used to seeing one of their own in such a captured and vulnerable state, let alone one as brutal as that.

“We won’t kill him, at least on purpose, but let this be a message for the future. Try and get in our way, and we won’t hesitate to escalate the consequences.” He immediately hit Beast Boy square in the chest with a metal pipe, with Beast Boy letting out a shriek of pain that made everyone flinch. “Come and get him if you wish. I think my message has been delivered loud and clear.” At that, the communicator turned off.

The Titans were experiencing a huge rush of emotions. Starfire was crying, Cyborg and Robin were furious, and Raven was a mix of the two.

“We need to find where they are now.” Robin said angrily, and he was right. From the way the leader talked, he was ready to beat Beast Boy to a pulp, not caring if he bled out.

While Robin and Cyborg worked hard to get a lock on the communicator, Raven was in the background reflecting. She had spent most of her time as a Teen Titan making fun of Beast Boy, insulting him for his humor and personality. She was used to him being able to take her comments in stride. She had never imagined him in such a position, though. What’s worse was that just a few minutes ago, she was glad he wasn’t around. She was more disappointed in herself than anything.

After only 10 seconds, Raven heard Cyborg shriek “There they are.”

“We must go now.” said Starfire, not waiting for Robin to say anything before flying out of the building. The others followed suit, with Robin claiming “Hold tight, Beast Boy. I promise we’re going to get you back.”


	3. Scared and Beaten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter explains how Beast Boy got bruised in the last chapter. It's also the most brutal. I hope you all enjoy!

Beast Boy arrived at an abandoned building complex that had a small room in the lower levels. Whoever this gang was, they clearly had some knowledge of how to operate effectively, because while the outside of the complex was crumbling, down low, they had fixed up the basement and lower levels to look like an underground penthouse.

When the bag was pulled off, he was confused as to where he was. What he did know was that his chest hurt and that his arms were chained to the wall behind him. “Fresh start” said the man standing in front of him.

“Who are you?” asked Beast Boy

“I’m sorry. I never did introduce myself. Antonio Marcucci. You may be familiar with an old associate of mine by the name of Falcone.”

While Beast Boy had never met Falcone, he knew that name and what it stood for. He also knew that Robin had to have had his fair share of run-ins with him in the past.

“Is he here?”

“No. I left Gotham after it became clear that Batman caused his business to hit a wall. Pathetic fool never knew how to evolve when that hero came around.”

“So, you’re just some new guy, then?”

“Far from it. I studied under him for years before I came here to start my own gang. What I like about this city is that I only have to worry about five teenagers.”

“Dude, do you even know who us “teenagers” are? We’re the Teen Titans!”

“I’m well aware. However, unlike my old mentor, I actually come prepared to deal with scum like you. I believe you are also familiar with another associate of mine, and more specifically, what he provides to us.”

Marcucci held out his hand so that Beast Boy could see the fear gas capsules. Beast Boy now understood that this was not a criminal gang to push over. These guys were serious over their takeover of the city.

“I need to make sure these capsules actually work, so I thought I might use you as my guinea pig.” Marcucci walked out of the room and threw the capsule behind him at Beast Boy. It exploded when it touched the floor, easily affecting him.

The next thing Beast Boy saw was his teammates enter the room. Expecting them to be real, he said “Oh thank goodness you guys found…”

“Be quiet you little grass stain.” said Cyborg. In reality, two guys entered the room with Beast Boy, both of whom were intent on beating him. To Beast Boy, it was his friends who arrived to hurt him, rather than rescue him.

“I can’t believe you got yourself captured.” said Robin.

“How was I supposed to know that would...”

“It doesn’t matter. You still got caught.”

“Just like the pathetic little brat I always expected you to be” said Raven

“On my planet, this is grounds for punishment” said Starfire.

Beast Boy immediately felt a hard punch to his face. He then felt all four of his teammates beating him hard. He felt kicks to his stomach, punches to the face, and also felt himself getting slammed in the head by someone's knee. The gas worked like a charm. Beast Boy was living his worst fear, the fear of his teammates turning on him and casting him out, making him feel absolutely worthless. 

In between the hits, he heard comments such as Cyborg saying “Just like every mission you’ve been on” and Raven’s “You’ve held us back for the last time.”

The two men were hurting him bad. One was blasting him in the face with brass knuckles, while the other was slamming him in the abdomen with a pipe. It wasn’t long before he was spitting and coughing up blood. This was one of the most brutal punishments a Titan has had to endure.

After about ten minutes, Antonio came back in, saying “That’s enough. We can’t afford to kill him just yet.”

Beast Boy saw all of his friends leave.

“So tell me, what was your fear?”

Beast Boy was way too weak and in pain to respond. The gas seemed to wear off, though. 

“Looks like it worked.” Antonio immediately heard Beast Boy’s communicator ring.

“Robin to Beast Boy. Come in Beast Boy.”


	4. Getting Him Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the action scenes come across as boring. This is my first attempt at writing them. Regardless, I hope everyone enjoys.

The Titans quickly arrived to the point where the tracker said it was located. Cyborg, however, was confused.

“This is the place? It looks dead.”

“If I had to guess, there’s an underground part to this complex. With any luck, that is where they’ll be” said Robin.

Almost immediately, they were under attack by gunman.

“Titans, move!” said Robin, pulling out smoke pellets to give everyone cover. Cyborg and Robin took on their attackers hand-to-hand, while Starfire and Raven took them on from the sky.

The battle progressed well for the Titans, as this was nothing more than one of their usual fights, but, this time, with guns. Raven, however, was getting frustrated and wanted to find Beast Boy now.

“I’m tired of having to deal with this. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!” 

Raven let out a huge flow of energy that encased every gunman in sight. She noticed the area where they were all coming from and proceeded down the stairs. She didn't wait for the others, and the others were not about to make her wait up, either. She was the one who could sense Beast Boy and get to him the fastest. They also didn't know what condition Beast Boy was in. She needed to get to him and fast.

Raven, at this point, didn't even have to say anything in order to use her powers. Simply flying past gang members was enough to throw them back. She was angry. Angry at the gang for hurting Beast Boy, but also herself. With how much she teased Beast Boy and how he always bounced back, she started to take him for granted. Seeing him in such a broken condition, it made every moment she spent with him in the past suddenly feel like a waste of time.

She eventually came to the center of the compound. It was lavishly decorated, had multiple stripper poles, and had a massive bar. This gang was clearly more experienced than other criminals she was familiar with if this was their compound. Multiple halls were connected to the room as well. The rest of the Titans caught up to Raven while she was figuring out which corridor to go down.

She eventually sensed Beast Boy, but not before the room was filled with gunman. She was prepared to take everyone down in one fell swoop, but Robin saw how destructive she was getting, and told her “Find Beast Boy. We’ll take care of these guys.” With a nod, Raven flew off to retrieve him, but not without sending a few gunman into the walls behind them.

“Titans, go!”

How the group survived the assault is beyond them. Guns fired from what seemed like every conceivable angle. Robin, like last time, dropped a smoke pellet, and everyone scattered. Robin was the first to become visible, but was able to use his grapples to tangle up multiple guns and fling them around the room, giving him easy access to taking down the now unarmed gang members. 

Cyborg and Starfire went for the men on the walkways. They found that the most efficient way to take them down was to have Starfire to use her star bolts on the different men on the walkway, while Cyborg would take out the support structures holding up them up. All this happening with modified SMGs blaring from all angles. Most of the time, however, was dedicated towards ducking behind cover and dodging the bullets. This was one of the most defensive fights the Titans had ever found themselves in.

Raven sped down the hallway, making quick work of any gunman. It wasn't long before she came to the room Beast Boy was being held in. Guarding the door were the two goons who laid waste to him. Even Raven’s heightened emotional state wasn't enough to deter these two. She was going to have to fight.

“Azarath Metrion Zinthos!”

She first tried to encase them in her magic, but the sheer strength of the men overpowered her. They charged her as soon as they were released. Like the other titans, she was on the defensive end of the battle, constantly having to dodge the blunt objects the men tried to hit her with. One of the men landed a hit square in her stomach, and she slammed into the wall behind her. 

She managed to roll out of the way before a more lethal blow could be delivered, and immediately started to levitate again. Hand-to-hand seemed out of the question now, too. Her best option now was to target the weapons the two men were holding.

She cast out more magic, this time aimed at the objects the men were holding. She remembered how the men broke out of her magic’s hold last time, so she made a swift motion to pull the objects out of their hands the moment her magic encased them. They were caught off guard by the swift movement, but all Raven really did was buy herself a little bit of down time. The men were still prepared to fight hand-to-hand.

A few seconds later, however, Robin came in and knocked one of the guards into the other. “Get Beast Boy!” he screamed before jumping away so the guards couldn't grab him.

She forced the door open to see a battered and barely conscious Beast Boy chained to the wall behind him. All she could utter in that moment was a soft “No…”. She immediately tended to his wounds, trying her best to heal him up as best she could. She was able to clear up most of the blemishes and swelling, but anything internal could only be partially healed.

“Well, it appears we have a little doctor on the team” said Antonio next to the door, closing it. Raven stopped what she was doing and immediately stood up, looking at the tall man standing before her.

“I am walking out of this room with him. Alive.”

“And you will. But first, a little bit of a workout won’t hurt.” He immediately pulled a knife on her, thrusting at the empath with every opportunity. Raven was easily able to dodge the knife every time. Perhaps too easily. He didn’t seem to show much interest in actually hitting her. He seemed like he was doing it more to say “I fought a Teen Titan” than trying to hurt or kill her.

Raven saw through this game and immediately disarmed him. Following that, the rest of the Titans found their way into the room as well. Robin pinned him down to the ground and told him angrily “You’re lucky we’re not going to be part of the jury for your trial.”

“It doesn’t matter how long they throw me in for. My plan already worked. I won.”

Only a few minutes passed before the team was out of the bunker, with Robin and Starfire taking Antonio to jail, while Raven and Cyborg got Beast Boy to Titans Tower as fast as they could.


	5. Not the Same

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like always, I hope everyone enjoys.

Beast Boy was able to recover rather quickly considering his injuries. As it turned out, the beatings had broken his ribs, dislocated his jaw, and gave him a spine fracture. The current medical machines Cyborg created could only do so much, though, and he was going to need some recovery time, considering the severity of the beating.

Robin, ever the person to be focused on the task at hand, asked Beast Boy about the event and who the gang was. Beast Boy explained what he knew; the leader’s name is Antonio Marcucci, he is originally from Gotham, he served under Falcone but left after feeling like Falcone lost any sort of real ambition, and he has some fear toxin courtesy of Scarecrow.

This made Robin uneasy. He came to Jump City with the express purpose of leaving his past as a sidekick behind, but now, part of what made him Robin is now in this city. He didn’t want this gang to hold a lot of control over the city, so he made monitoring them a priority for him and Cyborg. He also asked Cyborg to try and research better medical equipment. Injury was not uncommon, but Beast Boy’s were more brutal than others, and so they needed to make sure others could bounce back quicker if they ever experienced a similar situation. He left the room after finding this out, but not before saying to Beast Boy "Hey, I'm glad your OK."

Cyborg told Beast Boy to rest for about a week before he went back into the field. Normally, Beast Boy would try to fight regardless, but he could feel the lingering pain all throughout his abdomen, and he wasn’t about to aggravate it any more than necessary. The next week was mostly him being reclusive in his room, only coming out to eat. This was strange. Raven was normally the one to never be seen, not Beast Boy, and even when he came to get something to eat, he never said anything, acknowledged everyone else’s presence, or even pulled a classic Beast Boy smile. He just came in, got some tofu, and left.

This was unsettling for everyone else. Everyone tried to treat him the same as before the event; Cyborg was always ready to play some video games with him, Robin asked if he wanted to train together with him, and Starfire offered one of her many alien dishes whenever she saw him. He always turned them down, and he always did it in a depressed tone.

Starfire and Cyborg agreed that this was not the Beast Boy they neither knew nor wanted. Cyborg wanted his best friend back, and Starfire wanted whom she thought was the happiest person in the universe back, so they both went to talk to him.

“Yo BB, can we come in?” Cyborg said from behind Beast Boy’s door.

“Please Beast Boy. We only wish to try and make you feel better.” said Starfire.

It took a few moments, but Beast Boy finally let them in. They noticed that his room was a little cleaner than how he used to leave it.

“Did you clean up in here or somethin’?” asked Cyborg.

“I thought it would help if I occupied myself.” Beast Boy was still speaking in a depressed voice, but he was speaking in normal sentences, rather than only three words at most, so they took that as a sign of progress.

“Friend, what is troubling you. None of us enjoy this person you have become.” Starfire said, concerned. All Cyborg thought was “So much for being subtle.”

Beast Boy immediately sat down on the top bunk. “Sorry guys. I’m trying to get better, I really am. I just can’t get over what happened to me back there.”

“Don’t sweat it, B. We’ve all been in powerless situations before. It happens.”

“It’s not that. I’m not upset I got jumped, I’m upset about what those chemicals made me see and think. I really thought my worst fear came to life, and right now, I feel as though it did.”

Cyborg wasn’t much for words after hearing that, so all he could do was lay a hand on Beast Boy’s shoulder, trying to comfort him. Starfire, with her hands folded, asked sincerely “Forgive me for asking such a personal question, but what is you fear, Beast Boy?”

“Star, not the best time.”

“It’s alright, Cy. I’m fine talking about it.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, as long as your OK to talk about it.”

Cyborg pulled up a chair at hearing this. He knew this would take some time. Starfire just hovered in place with her legs crossed. 

He decided to start from the beginning. He explained how, when he was originally with the Doom Patrol, he always felt insecure about being the child of the group. He always felt like he had to work extra hard to match the skills of the older veterans of the group. He never felt like he was ever accomplishing much, though, since Mento would always find a way to ridicule Beast Boy for something. 

When he joined the Titans, he thought he found a group where everyone was on equal footing with each other. He soon realized that that was not the case. Robin was a great leader almost from the start, Starfire was the single strongest being he ever saw, Cyborg seemed near-invulnerable with his enhancements and was an engineering genius to boot, and Raven was a practical demigod considering her powers and lineage.

Beast Boy felt that he was never one to measure up to them. Everyone, to him, was so versatile with their abilities and knowledgeable on things he had never heard of before. He simply felt inadequate when compared to everyone else, and that is what manifested when he was hit with the toxin.

His worst fear was the Titans casting him out, believing him to be useless and nothing more than a liability. To him, Robin’s the awesome leader, Cyborg’s the sci-fi engineer, Starfire and Raven are the ultimate weapons, and he’s just the little kid that everyone feels like they need to babysit all the time.

This was painful for both Cyborg and Starfire to hear. After everything that happened with the Brotherhood of Evil, they knew he was more complex than he let on, but they never knew how deep his feelings ran. Starfire, in tears, simply hugged him in a warm embrace. Cyborg could only respond with “I'm sorry you feel that way, B.”

“You don't have to apologize for anything” Beast Boy responded.

“I wish for you to know that I do not see you that way at all, Beast Boy, nor would I ever wish to hurt you.” Starfire said innocently, stopping the hug. “Your feelings are not what we actually think.”

“That doesn't mean I’m not the weakest member on the team.”

“Don't sell yourself short, B. You've been a blessing for us, whether you realize it or not.”

Beast Boy wanted to believe Cyborg badly, but his inferiority complex ran deep. He truly believed he was the worst member on the team. He needed some time outside to process what he just said to his teammates. “Thanks guys. If you don’t mind, I'll be outside” he said, solemnly getting off of his bed and walking out of his room. Cyborg and Starfire just looked on from his doorway, and then went to the common room to tell Robin and Raven what they just learned.


	6. Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really short, I know, but I liked the idea of it. Enjoy!

Robin was surprised by this. After Beast Boy helped to take down Soto after capturing him, as well as being the main reason as to why they defeated the alien at the recycling plant, Robin felt Beast Boy more than deserved to be on the Titans, and that's before everything that happened with the Brotherhood of Evil. 

"How could he believe such a thing? Doesn't he know that's not true?"

"That's what I would've thought" said Cyborg, "but the kid just doesn't value himself like that. He just sees himself as the little kid that annoys everyone, and nothing more."

"I know he can get on our nerves, but I would never see him as just a little kid."

"Like I said. He does, though. When he was hallucinating from the toxin, he thought we were the ones who beat him up."

Robin felt even more distressed now. “I could never do that to him.”

“None of us would.”

Raven once again felt a sense of anger in her, but also one of empathy, too. She knew all too well what it feels like to think that she was the odd one out on the team. Ever since she met the others, she always felt like she would never belong. That pretty much changed when she defeated her father, but being the reclusive one of the team, she still felt like the odd one out.

She had to talk to him. If she couldn’t get through to him, the very least she could do was tell him that what he felt was shared. 

The meeting between the four ended solemnly. Robin decided that it was best to give Beast Boy some time to himself before going to talk to him. He and Cyborg then continued work on finding out more about Macucci’s gang. Starfire, meanwhile, went to feed Silkie. Raven meditated in her room for a few minutes, trying to calm her mind down. Afterwards, she made her way to the top of the tower.


	7. Feel Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To finish this work off, some platonic BBRae leaning on romantic. Enjoy!

Beast Boy was sitting on the edge at the top of the tower, trying to calm his mind down. The sun was setting, the sky was awash with gold, and there was a breeze. He had to admit that it did feel nice out. It helped him a little but not enough for him to ignore what he was feeling.

What happened back in his room was an important moment for him. He had never really been so vulnerable around other people, afraid of revealing anything that others may try to use to hurt him with. He knew, though, that one day, he would have to confess to someone about his inner demons. He was just glad it was the Titans who were the ones to hear it. It was a display of trust that he wouldn’t have shared with anyone else.

He heard the rooftop door open and could kind of guess who was coming up to meet him.

“I take it Cyborg and Starfire told you?”

So much for subtlety, Raven thought. No use lying. “Yeah. I’m sorry that’s how you’ve been feeling.” Raven joined him at the edge of the tower, taking a seat next to him.

Considering what he revealed, he might as well just talk, he thought. “I feel like my whole life, ever since I got these powers, I’ve been trying to live up to other people’s expectation. Like, it’s always been me versus everyone else.”

“I can relate. Growing up part-demon, I never felt like anyone would want to get close to me, but then I found you guys.”

“Do you ever feel inadequate compared to everyone else?”

“Not inadequate, no. I’ve certainly felt like I didn’t belong, but I’ve never felt inadequate.”

“Of course not. It’s only me, just like always.”

Raven was surprised by just how much of a slump Beast Boy was in. She knew he was capable of showing genuine emotion when the time called for it, but this an instance of self-loathing that she thought only she was capable of. 

“I did say, though, that I felt like I never belonged. I think all of us have felt like we never belonged. Robin because of his lack of powers, Starfire thinking her sister was better than her, Cyborg’s distress from not being fully human anymore. We’ve all felt it, but that doesn’t mean we also haven’t felt like we work best as a team and wish to remain one, too.”

“But all of you seem like you already make up the perfect team. Robin the leader, Cyborg the engineer, Starfire the alien warrior, and you the ultimate weapon. Where does that leave me? Where do I fit in?”

“As the most important weapon we have.” Beast Boy was shocked to hear that, but willing to listen to Raven finish. “It’s because of you that many of the missions we’ve taken on have ended in success.” 

“Such as?”

“You helped defeat the alien who captured you, you were the reason we beat the alien at the recycling center, you helped Terra realize her potential to save the city, and you led the Titans against the Brotherhood of Evil.”

This alone probably would have helped Beast Boy realize his place on the team, but it was what Raven said next that really sealed it. Putting her hand on his shoulder, Raven told him “You’re also the reason I’ve become the person that I am.”

Now this was a shocker for him. He remembered saving her from Adonis, but he thought that was just a lucky break. She proved here statement to be true, though, stating “Not only did you save from Adonis, but you also gave me the ability and courage to fight against the anger inside my mind, and you helped to make me feel better after what Malcior did. You always try to include me in what you do. You helped me become a better person, and I’m thankful for it, and you.”

She stopped looking at Beast Boy to finish that sentence, which wasn’t the best moment to do that either, because she was taken aback when Beast Boy gave her a hug. A familiar one, too, because this was the same hug she gave him when he told her that she wasn’t alone. She even did what Beast Boy did to her and lightly pushed him away.

He seemed to have a sincere smile on his face now, so what she said seemed to work. He followed up by saying “Sorry.”

“It’s OK. Just promise one thing.”

“What?”

“Don't change from being your usual stupid self.”

“I’ll try. Being that sad all the time isn’t exactly the most fun thing to do.”

After a few seconds of staring out at the horizon, Raven then asked “So you think I’m the team’s ultimate weapon, huh?”

“You expelled a demon and returned the whole world to normal with one use of your powers. What more do you need to do?”

“That was a one time thing and you know it.”

“It still happened, though. You can’t expect me to forget something like that happening.” Raven was flattered by his remark, a rare feat for Beast Boy.

It’s funny, the more the two of them learned about one another, the more they found in common. After all, they have tragic family stories (although that seems to be a right of passage for a hero anymore), they both have had their hearts broken, and now they appear to think terribly of themselves, too. Beast Boy made himself out to be her complete opposite, childish and goofy, and yet it looked like, on the inside, they shared the same sense of lacking self-worth.

Raven didn’t want that. She would never admit it, but Raven thrived off of Beast Boy’s enthusiasm and energy. Sure, he could be a pain, but she needed someone like him to interject in her life, someone who wanted her involved in activities, someone who wasn’t afraid to be happy. The other Titans were around, too, but they never focused their enthusiasm on Raven directly, as Robin and Starfire focused on each other, while Cyborg focused on his creations. Beast Boy, on the other hand, focused on her, and deep down, she appreciated that very much.

Above all else, though, the one thing that they shared in common that both of them came to adore was their ability to make each other feel better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My second published fanfic! Woo! Sorry if this felt sloppy, rushed, etc. I just had this idea that I thought would make a great story. I hope you all enjoyed, and if you didn't, thank you anyways. The fact that you gave my fic a chance simply by clicking on it means the world to me. Have a wonderful and blessed day.


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